Begging for help-video
 

Guys, I am crazy about TGM, but don't know where to begin with my swing. Don't even know if I am a hitter or a swinger. My swing feels like a throw it back against my right shoulder then the shoulder 'throws' it back down. Just looking for a little direction. My swing looks steep going back, crosses the line, then steep coming down. Sort of a mess, but i am a +1 handicap. I draw my irons and fade my woods. I had one TGM guy tell me looks like I open the face early and try to sling it shut on the downswing. This is sort of how it feels, but don't know where to begin working on tightening up my swing. Anyone care to throw out some advice/drills?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8SmB_IaxTI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXSY_l4GeBg

+1 hdcp. I'm sure with a little coaching you could get to a -3 or -4.
Just kidding. If it ain't broke don't fix it. You probably didn't get to +1 by hitting it too bad.

playing off +1 and asking for advice? :eyes:

exGP, the only advice I could give you is to purchase "Alignment Golf" from the web store. There is a DVD in the pack that is chock full of drills.

:salut:

My request for advice is an honest request. I sincerely believe that I could be a +2 or +3 if I hit the ball better. I hit less than 50% of my fairways and about 55% of my greens. As you can guess, I am quite capable of getting up/down from a lot of places. But, I feel if I could hit 60% fairways/greens, I could not only play in the my state wide amateur tournaments, but contend.

I live in Missouri which is not a hotbed of TGM teachers, so I try to hang out here. And although I can recited many TGM ideas, I"m not sure how to correct my swing. That is why I'm asking.

But, thanks for your response, I'll check out the DVD.

Luke your my father
 

I see lots of great great stuff there Ex.

I used to be on the plus side of things and am going back there this year dang it.

Id hang with Luke if I were you, if you know what I mean. I may be wrong Im seeing hitters everywhere I look now. Just came out myself so maybe its NFHS (new found hitters syndrome). But strongish left grip, tonnes of right arm extension in release, right elbow aligned in support of the #3pp at top, those crazy good looks. I think your a hitter but what the heck do I know except the more I know the more I realize I dont know, if you know what i mean.

Hey if you shortened your swing a tad you wouldnt be across the line. Yoda said something once about Larry Nelson in this regard and him being a hitter and all. I just saw some old footage of Gene Littler he kind of looks like a hitter to me too. Ya I got NFHS for sure.

Dont need to change much I bet.

O.B.

Thanks for the comments. I've studied this video over and over. Best I can tell, the club crosses the line when my right arm drifts back behind me. So, I'm not terribly concerned with that. In my opinion, I do get a little steep coming down and that prevents me from getting the club to 'sit a little flatter' at impact.

Help On the Way!
 

exgolfpro,

The driver (front view) you posted on youtube is instructive:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyIl4...eature=related

This video makes clear your principal faults: Steering (3-F-7-A) and Quitting (3-F-7-B).

During the Impact Interval, you divert the Club from its true Downplane path (Steering) by Bending your Left Wrist (essentially stopping your Hands / Quitting). As a result, there is no way you can achieve the proper extension of the Arms in the Follow-Through. All of which makes consistent Clubface/Ball contact problematic.

There is work to be done, and you can do it. Let's talk about 'how to' in this thread.

:salut:

Exgolfpro Vid?
 

Yoda,
I could be wrong but the Youtube video you referenced is not exgolfpro (Steve) but perhaps a friend of his Brad G.

yeah, BradG would love to have as much hair as Steve!

Yoda,
Thanks for the reply, but that is not me. That is a friend of mine. And yes, he body comes to a screeching halt and flips the club thru. My two swings are with a 5 iron and posted in the first thread.

Oh, that is awesome. I will be sure and forward this thread to Brad G.

I see too much upper left arm rotation to early ..butt could be more up and back at address
try the Boo weekly drill ..rubber thing tied around the arms above elbows..keep the elbows pointing down for the takeaway..you will need a better body motion to hit solid shots with this contraption

I think it boils down to ineffective thru pivot, causing you to still steer and quit (I know Yoda said that about Brad G, but you have the same problem, it's just not as pronounced as Brad G's is)

There's a definite flip in there at impact. Brian Manzella likes to talk about how the zipper should be moving ahead of the hands on the downswing. By "quitting" which causes you to flip, your hands are getting in front of the zipper.

A drill that worked for me (I'm in a similar situation, low handicapper who still flips) I worked on the left side connection drill (keeping a golf glove under my left armpit) AND keeping my right thumb and right index finger off the grip. Try hitting chip shots with the left side connection and the right thumb and index finger off the grip. It pretty much forces you to use your pivot to get the clubhead to the ball instead of using your arms and hands to get the clubhead to the ball (which causes an overacceleration of the clubhead and the flip through impact).

It takes some patience because the results won't happen overnight. And once you start to "get it" you will still be inconsistent because of years of flippng the left wrist through impact. And again, hit lots and lots of chip shots doing this drill and lots and lots of work with the impact bag doing this drill (most golfers go right to the full swing and make life harder for them).

I would agree that I my body quits and I sort of 'throw' the hands at the ball. This winter, I have actually been trying to hit the ball with my zipper facing the target. I've always had a lot of lateral motion and not a lot of rotary.

I've had the same problem as well. I used to play mini-tours back about 10 years ago and was a low as a +1.7 handicap, but I would essentially time the flip and get by with my good putting and chipping. I've improved by leaps and bounds using the connection and right thumb and index finger off the grip drill (neither drill is new, but I've never seen them both combined). There's talk of feeling like you're "blasting the left arm off the chest" on the downswing which you have to be connected to do and can't "blast" that left arm unless you pivot. I think part of it is not only do we quit with the body, we also get too fast and anxious to use our ARMS and hands to hit the ball. I just keep telling myself things like:

- get the zipper to the target (or over the left knee)
- "blast" the left arm off the chest
- Hit it with your pivot, not your arms and hands.

There's other different feels as well. Trevino felt like he was "breaking his knees down" on the downswing which gave him that pivot. Hogan felt like he was just purely rotating the hips from the beginning of the downswing.

There also may be some flexibility issues, particularly in the hips, hamstrings and calfs which make it harder to pivot.

Load and sustain the "Lag", the secret of golf.
 

I would load some "Lag"/resistance/heaviness, specifically the clubhead, on the top to tighten up the backswing and, at least, give the start-down a stabler start. I bet, in your current swing, the club feels pretty light on the top and coming down, which can make the swing vulnerable to pressure situation or physical condition.

How? Gently initiate the downswing in the middle of the backswing, during which you will feel the resistance (or inertia) of the club and try to sustain that heaviness feel (instead of throwing it away) through impact.

Good luck!

In no way meaning to tell you anything you don't already know, but after talking to Kev Carter yesterday over coffee, then wearing out my eyeballs on more videos (I just about have AG memorized--I see flying wedges in my sleep), I have come to the conclusion I am going to try to use some Stack and Tilt with my Alignment Golf-TGM. I am hoping it will bring added consistency in ball striking.
I have a lot further to go than you do.

I have the Alignment Golf DVD's coming, and in the mean am working hard on taking out a dip and a sway. I'm starting to believe in the steady centered head as heading toward it is helping. Had my steadiest ballstriking game in months yesty.

Who is AG?

Edit...Oh, nevermind. apparently, i'm not the best reader.

2 cents?
 

Could it be simply that your right forearem could be more on plane at address?

This may give you a better spine tilt and keep your shoulders from getting too steep?

A mark in time
 

Stop the video at the 4 second mark on the face on video. Do it a few times because there is a lot of info at different points of that 4 second mark. First I would look at your footwork, particularly the right foot. There is a good drill in Video 2 of AG that will help you become more aware of proper right foot action. Next I would look at your pivot and ask you if you feel that the pivot is really being used in the proper sequence. Lastly, I see some over acceration and the need to work on better rhythm post impact. Just my 4 seconds worth! Enjoy the journey

Hip joint flexibility
 

Some of us have reduced hip socket flexibility. This seems to be a problem for me especially on the left side. If the pivot through is restricted, the body stops,the hands flip, and for me, the ball hooks. For now, I'm turning my left foot more towards the target at address, and my shots have started to straighten out.

Anybody know an exercise to improve hip joint mobility?

You might want to look at the TPI site. http://www.mytpi.com/

They will show you how to test your hip flexibility and will also show you a variety of exercises. All at the right price.....free.